Principal Rivers of the World

River

Source

Outflow

mi.

km

Nile

Tributaries of Lake Victoria, Africa

Mediterranean Sea

4,180

6,690

Amazon

Glacier-fed lakes, Peru

Atlantic Ocean

3,912

6,296

Mississippi-Missouri-
 Red Rock

Source of Red Rock, Montana

Gulf of Mexico

3,710

5,970

Chang Jiang (Yangtze)

Tibetan plateau, China

China Sea

3,602

5,797

Ob

Altai Mts., Russia

Gulf of Ob

3,459

5,567

Huang He (Yellow)

Eastern part of Kunlan Mts., West China

Gulf of Chihli

2,900

4,667

Yenisei

Tannu-Ola Mts., western Tuva, Russia

Arctic Ocean

2,800

4,506

Paraná

Confluence of Paranaiba and Grande rivers

Río de la Plata

2,795

4,498

Irtish

Altai Mts., Russia

Ob River

2,758

4,438

Zaire (Congo)

Confluence of Lualab and Luapula rivers, Congo

Atlantic Ocean

2,716

4,371

Heilong (Amur)

Confluence of Shilka (Russia) and Argun (Manchuria) rivers

Tatar Strait

2,704

4,352

Lena

Baikal Mts., Russia

Arctic Ocean

2,652

4,268

Mackenzie

Head of Finlay River, British Columbia, Canada

Beaufort Sea
 (Arctic Ocean)

2,635

4,241

Niger

Guinea

Gulf of Guinea

2,600

4,184

Mekong

Tibetan highlands

South China Sea

2,500

4,023

Mississippi

Lake Itasca, Minnesota

Gulf of Mexico

2,348

3,779

Missouri

Confluence of Jefferson, Gallatin, and Madison rivers, Montana

Mississippi River

2,315

3,726

Volga

Valdai plateau, Russia

Caspian Sea

2,291

3,687

Madeira

Confluence of Beni and Maumoré rivers, Bolivia–Brazil boundary

Amazon River

2,012

3,238

Purus

Peruvian Andes

Amazon River

1,993

3,207

São Francisco

Southwest Minas Gerais, Brazil

Atlantic Ocean

1,987

3,198

Yukon

Junction of Lewes and Pelly rivers, Yukon Territory, Canada

Bering Sea

1,979

3,185

St. Lawrence

Lake Ontario

Gulf of St. Lawrence

1,900

3,058

Rio Grande

San Juan Mts., Colorado

Gulf of Mexico

1,885

3,034

Brahmaputra

Himalayas

Ganges River

1,800

2,897

Indus

Himalayas

Arabian Sea

1,800

2,897

Danube

Black Forest, Germany

Black Sea

1,766

2,842

Euphrates

Confluence of Murat Nehri and Kara Su rivers, Turkey

Shatt-al-Arab

1,739

2,799

Darling

Central part of Eastern Highlands, Australia

Murray River

1,702

2,739

Zambezi

11°21'S, 24°22'E, Zambia

Mozambique Channel

1,700

2,736

Tocantins

Goiás, Brazil

Pará River

1,677

2,699

Murray

Australian Alps, New South Wales

Indian Ocean

1,609

2,589

Nelson

Head of Bow River, western Alberta, Canada

Hudson Bay

1,600

2,575

Paraguay

Mato Grosso, Brazil

Paraná River

1,584

2,549

Ural

Southern Ural Mts., Russia

Caspian Sea

1,574

2,533

Ganges

Himalayas

Bay of Bengal

1,557

2,506

Amu Darya (Oxus)

Nicholas Range, Pamir Mts., Turkmenistan

Aral Sea

1,500

2,414

Japurá

Andes, Colombia

Amazon River

1,500

2,414

Salween

Tibet, south of Kunlun Mts.

Gulf of Martaban

1,500

2,414

Arkansas

Central Colorado

Mississippi River

1,459

2,348

Colorado

Grand County, Colorado

Gulf of California

1,450

2,333

Dnieper

Valdai Hills, Russia

Black Sea

1,419

2,284

Ohio-Allegheny

Potter County, Pennsylvania

Mississippi River

1,306

2,102

Irrawaddy

Confluence of Nmai and Mali rivers, northeast Burma

Bay of Bengal

1,300

2,092

Orange

Lesotho

Atlantic Ocean

1,300

2,092

Orinoco

Serra Parima Mts., Venezuela

Atlantic Ocean

1,281

2,062

Pilcomayo

Andes Mts., Bolivia

Paraguay River

1,242

1,999

Xi Jiang (Si Kiang)

Eastern Yunnan Province, China

China Sea

1,236

1,989

Columbia

Columbia Lake, British Columbia, Canada

Pacific Ocean

1,232

1,983

Don

Tula, Russia

Sea of Azov

1,223

1,968

Sungari

China–North Korea boundary

Amur River

1,215

1,955

Saskatchewan

Canadian Rocky Mts.

Lake Winnipeg

1,205

1,939

Peace

Stikine Mts., British Columbia, Canada

Great Slave River

1,195

1,923

Tigris

Taurus Mts., Turkey

Shatt-al-Arab

1,180

1,899